Platforming is back my friends

[NeoZeedeater]

What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games. As far as I'm concerned Tenchu is just as much as platform game as Banjo-Kazooie.

[Punky Skunk]

Originally posted by neoalphazero
I've been to several Targets with Kirby 64 marked down to $20.

I wish I got prices like that. Seems like a good deal, since I haven't seen it on-line lower than 40.

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games.

It makes it less confusing to break the two types of games apart, because they play quite a bit differently. Maybe it's because I've heard it so often, but the "action game" label just makes sense.

[CorruptedOldGnom(sic)]

Originally posted by Rob
I love platformers.

With all of the Kirby talk, a question: how's Kirby 64? And what's the best Kirby game? One of the few platformer series I haven't really touched.

Kirby's Adventure for the NES is probably the best overall. Kirby Super Star for SNES is great too, it has some nifty fighting game-inspired powerups. It probably has the most variety of any Kirby game, although it doesn't flow quite as well as Kirby's Adventure. Kirby 64 is good too, it has some of the most inventive powerups I've ever seen.

[CorruptedOldGnom(sic)]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games. As far as I'm concerned Tenchu is just as much as platform game as Banjo-Kazooie.

I think "platformer" is often narrowed to cartoonish games because they often involve beating enemies by jumping on them. Myself, I use it for any game that involves lots of jumping.

[BioMechanic]

For me, the term "platformer" describes any non-driving game that's predominantly an obstacle course. Super Mario Bros. is a platformer. Klonoa is a platformer. Crash is a platformer. Hell, even Ecco is a platformer in my eyes.

There are many many games that include platforming as part of the gameplay (One, DMC, Contra, MGS, Castlevania, Ghosts n Goblins) but since those games contain just as much combat, etc. as platforming, I use the term "action" for those.

It is indeed nice to see pure platforming making a comeback (Sly Cooper, Blinx, Psychonauts, Rayman 3, not to mention all the GBA titles).

What I'd love to see, though, is a pure platformer that isn't all cute and fuzzy. Gimme a dark, evil, twisted platformer without a trace of silliness and I'd be in heaven (too bad Evil Twin turned out so shoddy - it was close).